


Stalled

by dont_reid_into_this



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Awkward train scenarios, F/M, Spencer nerds out a little
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-24
Updated: 2017-07-24
Packaged: 2018-12-06 04:17:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11592759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dont_reid_into_this/pseuds/dont_reid_into_this
Summary: Reader finds herself sitting across from a young doctor when her train stalls





	Stalled

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first criminal minds fanfic, let me know what you think! <3

This was not what you expected.   
  
Nor what you wanted.   
  
"Another hour or more," that was the expected time frame as reported over the intercom by the powers that be.  
  
Why did it have to be your lousy luck that you would be on this particular metro train when it broke down?   
  
Swallowing the claustrophobic feeling rapidly swelling in your chest, you instead tried to focus on the book you were listening to, Anna Karenina by Tolstoy. You closed your eyes and let the reader take you back in time to distant Russia. That strategy worked for all of seven minutes; you needed some other form of distraction.   
  
People watching was always fun, or so you decided it would be.   
  
Your eyes scanned the faces around you: several impatient suits tapping their feet and checking their designer watches, a furrowed-browed teen clutching a backpack and staring fearfully at those around him, a woman near the door having an animated conversation with herself in the window's reflection, and directly across from you a man with mismatched socks running a hand over pages of a book and turning them just as quickly. Was he actually reading? That's impossible! But no, he was reading alright, faster than anyone had a right to.   
  
Perhaps your eyes had lingered on him too long, because his own flew up from the pages and met yours. Instinctively, you looked away, studying the contents of your purse as if they were the most interesting thing in the world. You did not want to start a conversation with random train people, no matter how attractive you may have found them.   
  
Wait, what did you just think? No, no train folk. That was a rule. But....no! No buts! It doesn't matter if the person in question has soft-looking curly hair, or an extra defined jawline, or such large hands, or....DAMMIT! He caught you staring, and blinked back at you. As he opened his mouth to speak, you quickly turned away, causing your phone to fall off your lap and clatter into the floor, ear buds detaching in the process.   
  
The small space was filled with the voice of your book's reader,  
  
"During the whole of the performance Levin felt like a deaf man watching people dancing..."  
  
"...and was in a state of bewilderment when the fantasia was over, and felt a great weariness from the fruitless strain on his attention." The man across from you finished in with sync with the audio book.   
  
"Anna Karenina, I liked that one, it's been a while since I read it." He continued as he gave a small smile and stooped down to pick up your fallen phone, "I really should re-read that one. Oh, Doctor Spencer Reid, by the way. But please, just Spencer. You don't have to call me doctor or anything like that though," he added quickly.   
  
You cocked an eyebrow, "You don't seriously have that memorized, do you?"   
  
"Yes, yes I do. I automatically memorize everything I read."   
  
"And you can speed read too?"   
  
"In essence, yes." His eyes wided with excitement as he continued on, voice rising in pitch a little. "Right now I'm reading a paper by Hetherington and Willard about low temperature physics, the interesting thing about it is," his voice faltered and he cleared his throat, "well, you probably don't want to hear about it. Uh, sorry." He handed you back your  phone and averted his eyes to the floor, before leaning back and turning to his paper.   
  
You weren't an expert on behavior, but you knew someone who had been mocked or hushed for their interests before. You studied him for a moment, remembered your rule about train people, then said the hell with it.   
  
"The interesting thing about it is because F. D. C. Willard is a cat. Hetherington wrote the whole paper in the first person plural tense before a friend pointed out that he was the sole author. So, instead of rewriting the whole paper he listed his cat, Chester, as co-author."   
  
Spencer's head shot up and he stared at you, brown eyes wide, and jaw dropped slightly open. After a couple seconds of rapid blinking, the corners of his mouth turned up.   
  
"You know about F.D.C. Willard? I...I don't mean that in a disrespectful way or anything, I'm just surprised because he isn't really common knowledge outside of scientific circles."  
  
"Oh? And how do you know that I'm not in scientific circles?" you countered.  
  
"Well, your hair is pulled back in a clip behind your head, a rather conservative style. Your clothes are flattering but modest, you carry a large tote bag that seems to be stuffed with supplies of some sort. So, I could say you work as a scientist, but the one unzipped pocket of your bag with the pack of crayons and bag of red pens says grade school teacher."   
  
Who the hell was this guy? People didn't just know things like this, how could he have known?  Subconsciously you leaned away, tucking your feet under your chair and pushing your bag further from his view. All actions that did not escape his attention.   
  
"Wait, wait. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. Here." He sat up and reached into his jacket and - WAS THAT A GUN? - pulled out...something. A badge.  
  
"Look, I'm sorry, I'm an FBI agent. A behavioral analyst. I didn't mean to freak you out like that. I take it I was right?"   
  
You took the badge from his hand and studied it, it seemed legitimate enough to you.   
  
"You were most definitely right." You mumbled, finishing your inspection of his badge and handing it back.   
  
With a sudden lurch, the metro train began moving again.   
  
"I told you they would free us!" The lady near the door shouted to her reflection in the window.   
  
You glanced over at Spencer who locked eyes with you and mouthed "wow".  
  
You sat silently for the rest of the ride, the young doctor across from you stared at the floor rather than pick of his paper again. Your gaze fell over him several times, each time you caught yourself staring you internally chastised yourself. Yet every time you looked away, you felt his eyes on you.   
  
The train pulled up to your stop, and you stood, tucking your phone into your purse before stooping for your tote, but had it handed to you instead.   
  
"Here you go, and I am really sorry for scaring you before." Spencer said, eyes once again avoiding contact.   
  
"It's no problem, it means your good at what you do." You gave him a small smile before turning to leave the train.   
  
He cleared his throat and decided to take a chance.   
  
"Um, could I make it up to you sometime? Maybe dinner?"   
  
You looked back at him, you didn't have time to stop and write down your number...but, he did remember everything he read.  
  
"There's a café slash bookstore on the corner of Wesson and Third, I can be there tomorrow night at eight?"   
  
For the second time today, it seemed you had surprised him.   
  
"Yes! Okay, yes I can do that. Tomorrow at eight, I'll see you there."   
  
You waved goodbye at him as you got off the train, wondering where this would end up.  
  
                      ------------------------------------  
  
Spencer stared at the door after you had left, frowning slightly and twitching his nose. He realized he hadn't even gotten your name.   
  
"That's not going to be awkward to ask for at all." He grumbled to himself.   



End file.
